RGU celebrating being named Scottish University of the Year

The university was awarded the accolade after performing extremely well in teaching quality, student satisfaction, graduate employability and industry engagement.

RGU placed 8th in the UK for student experience and rose significantly from 72nd to 12th in the UK for teaching quality.

The university also climbed 17 places to 66th in the overall UK rankings.

Professor Steve Olivier, Principal and Vice Chancellor at RGU, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have awarded the Times and Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2021. This prestigious award could not have been gained without the incredible hard work of staff from across the university, who have been working tirelessly to ensure that RGU is the best university it can be.

“Our courses are designed to equip our students with the skills and knowledge which will allow them to thrive in their professional careers, and as such, they benefit from a range of teaching and learning styles and approaches, including valuable and contextual work experience opportunities.

“We have a long and proven track record of working collaboratively with partners in industry and business, and this brings a host of benefits not only to our students, but to the communities we operate within on a regional, national and international scale.”

Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “Robert Gordon is one of the leading modern universities in the UK with a proud record of producing graduates that employers want. The world of work is never far away from its degree programmes and courses contain a strong practical element.

“This makes a compelling case for Robert Gordon to be Scottish University of the Year, particularly when combined with a hefty 17-place rise in our UK academic ranking this year and levels of student satisfaction with teaching quality and the wider university experience that are among the highest in the UK.”

This is the latest in a string of strong results for the university, having moved up 33 places, rising to 43rd in the UK, while retaining its place as the top modern university in Scotland in the 2021 Guardian University Guide.

RGU was also shortlisted for a hat-trick of Times Higher Education (THE) 2020 awards, having made it as a finalist for Outstanding Entrepreneurial University of the Year, Business School of the Year and Innovative Teacher of the Year.